Rock bottom
by Emily-maru
Summary: Neal has hit rock bottom. AU to episode 3.10 Countdown. Spoilers for episodes from 3.09 to 3.11.


Disclaimer: White Collar doesn't belong to me; no copyright infringement is intended.

Writen for a prompt at The Collar Corner.

Thanks to lstuds for beta reading.

* * *

**Rock bottom**

"You lied to me?" Mozzie asked incredulously. Neal had the list. He's been lying when he had said that he hadn't found it in Peter's safe.

"We've got bigger problems, all right? When the Degas turns up, and it will, the FBI is gonna know the treasure didn't burn. And we're the prime suspects." Neal was almost panicking. Mozzie couldn't believe it. After all they'd been through together, after all this time, Neal cared more about the damn FBI. About Peter. He wanted to stay. Mozzie knew that already. He just didn't want to admit it to himself. Somewhere along the line, the FBI had become more important to Neal than his most loyal friend.

"Why didn't you tell me?" Nothing Neal just said mattered to him, because Mozzie didn't care about the FBI, about The Man. All he could think about was that his friend had betrayed him.

"Look, it doesn't matter now. Who did you fence it through? We have to get it back. Or we're done, Moz. We're done." There was desperation in Neal's voice.

"Yes, Neal. We are done," Mozzie said calmly before he stood up and left without another word.

####

Neal didn't sleep much that night. He didn't like the way he and Mozzie had left things. Moz was a good friend. He was loyal, especially to Neal. That's why Neal knew that his betrayal wouldn't be easily forgotten.

And then there was the Degas. He dreaded the moment when Peter would find out about it. And the moment he would set foot in the office, all of his fears come true. Peter already knew about the painting, and he had called his old mentor, Agent Kramer, for help. Neal had learned that they already had a lot of leads. They had easily found the fence that Mozzie had used. He had been lucky on that part because Rusty hadn't sold them out. It was bad for the business if you were labeled as a snitch.

But his luck had only lasted so far. In the end, they were still able to find who the painting had been sold to, and Neal could only watch helplessly when Peter and his team retrieved it in the buyer's office.

####

Peter was a nervous wreck while he watched Agent Kramer authenticate the long lost painting, but he was trying his best not to show it.

The problem was that he just couldn't decide what he was hoping for. The idea of the treasure still being somewhere out there and of being the one to find it was amazing. If the painting lay out in front of them was an original then that could become true. He would be able to find and return the most magnificent treasure. But that would also mean that Neal had betrayed him.

"Yes, it is definitely real. Gentlemen, we have the honor to admire a long lost Degas," Kramer stated with a big smile, watching Neal directly.

Peter felt the world sway a little. It was true. It was all true. His fears and suspicions had been confirmed. He had been right all along. Neal was nothing but a liar, a traitor and a liar.

Peter felt his hands shake a little with rage as he said evenly, "Kramer, can I have a moment with Caffrey?"

His mentor sent him an understanding look. "Of course, Petey." He put a hand on Peter's shoulder and said in a whisper, so that Neal couldn't hear him, before walking out the door. "Do the right thing."

When the doors were closed, Peter turned to Neal. "Where is it? I'm giving you a chance to turn it over now. Your one and only chance. If you confess now, you can hope for the lighter sentence."

"Peter, you don't understand. It's not what it looks like." Neal looked desperate. And, Peter thought, he looked guilty. Probably for the first time since he knew the man, he could read the word guilty written all over his face.

"I understand perfectly. Neal, did you steal the treasure?" Peter was clenching his fists in the blind anger that was threatening to overwhelm him.

"No. No I didn't," Neal said barely above the whisper. "Peter, please, you have to believe me." His eyes were pleading now.

How dares he! "Go to your apartment. You are under house arrest. You told me to prove that you stole the art. I am very close to proving it. And when I do Neal, so help you God." Saying that, Peter left the office.

####

Neal had been pacing in his apartment for hours. This could not be happening. When he had arrived home after Peter had told him that he was under house arrest, he had checked the treasure on the laptop Mozzie had given him and saw that the treasure was gone. The warehouse was completely empty. Moz had moved it. He had meant it when he had told Neal that they were done.

Neal tried to reach him, but it was impossible. When Mozzie wanted to disappear, he disappeared. And this time he had truly cut all the ties.

Neal could only hope that he could still fix things between him and Peter and that Peter wouldn't find any actual evidence against him.

####

Elizabeth was hurrying along the street. She was late. She hadn't slept well. Neither had Peter. He had been a wreck when he had come home last night. He had told her about the Degas and that he was sure Neal had the treasure.

And then, during breakfast that morning, Peter had seen an article about the recovered Degas. He had been furious because it was obvious someone had talked to the press. Elizabeth had told him to calm down and to think things through. Then she had kissed him and left.

Elizabeth even quickened her pace. She was usually never late. Her clients respected her for that. She was reliable and punctual, and she hated to disappoint them like that.

While walking, she reached in her purse and checked again to make sure she had all the papers she needed for the meeting. She didn't see the tall man that stepped in front of her, and she bumped into him.

"Oh, I am so sorry." When she finally looked him in the face, she saw a vicious smile.

"Watch where you are going, miss." He grabbed her by the arm and pulled her in the small and dark alley. He covered her mouth with his big hands.

She struggled and tried to pull free, but the man was just too strong. He pulled her close and whispered in her ear. "Tell your husband that Keller says hi. Tell him to expect a call from him and that he better comply. We don't want something bad happening to his lovely wife. It would be such a same." Then he pushed her to the ground and left.

Elizabeth stayed on the ground for a few moments, trying to get her breathing under control. Her hands were shaking when she called her assistant and told her to cancel the meeting. Then she pressed the sped dial 1 on her phone and waited until she heard a tired hello. "Hon, can you please come pick me up?"

####

Peter's anger had reached a whole new level.

When he got a call from El, he had hurried to pick her up. She was visibly shaken, and she recounted everything that had happened. He took her home and stayed there with her the entire day. They tried to distract each other the best they could, but their minds kept going to the threat made by Keller's man. The car with two FBI agents parked outside the house didn't help in forgetting the unpleasant event.

In the afternoon, Peter was becoming restless, so Elizabeth convinced him to go to the office. She promised him that she would be fine.

"Don't worry, I have two FBI agents watching over me. And I won't go anywhere."

He didn't feel good about leaving her alone, but he knew that there were many things he had to take care of in the office.

When he was heading back home in the evening, he found a black cell phone on the dashboard of his car. Then the cell rang.

It was Keller, and he made it very clear on what he wanted. "Your boy Caffrey's got the treasure. I've seen it, and I want it. I get the treasure and your sweet wife is safe. I don't and… well, we all know what happens in that case."

After that, the line went dead. And now he was in his car in front of June's, trying to calm down enough to be able to talk to Neal without slamming a fist into his face.

Neal really did have the treasure. Peter knew that Keller wouldn't risk coming back if hadn't been sure.

He took a couple of deep breaths and got out of the car.

He didn't have to wait long when he knocked on Neal's door. When Neal opened it, it was obvious that he was nervous and restless. Peter hasn't seen him or spoke to him since the previous day.

He didn't bother with hello. He walked in and turned on Neal.

"Where is the treasure?"

"I told you already that I don't…"

Peter cut him off before he was able to finish. "Keller is threatening El. Someone attacked her in the morning on her way to work. He wants the treasure. Now where is it?"

Neal visibly paled at his words. "I swear to God, Peter, if I had the treasure, I would give it up for El, but I don't. I am being honest now. I don't know where it is."

"You are a lying bastard. You wouldn't have given up the treasure to save your own mother. The only person you care about is yourself." Peter was yelling now. The last shreds of self-control he still possessed were disappearing.

He reached for his handcuffs. He grabbed Neal and slammed him against the wall face first.

"What are you doing?" Neal could hardly keep himself from fighting back. He knew that that would only make things worse.

"I am taking you to the FBI headquarters. You will remain in the holding cell until you tell me where the treasure is." He cuffed Neal's hands behind his back and tightened them slightly more than necessary.

####

Neal was sitting on the bunk in the cell with his knees pulled up to his chest. He still couldn't forget Peter's last words before he left him alone. "I can't believe that I ever thought about you as a good man. Now I see that you are nothing but a greedy bastard."

Neal closed his eyes. He couldn't believe that this was happening. In the last two days, he had lost Mozzie's trust and friendship. Friendship of the one person he had always been certain would never leave him. He could always count on Mozzie. Moz had always been there for him. Sure, he had kept his distance when he was in prison, but he had always found ways to pass him messages, even if just to let him know that he was thinking about him. He couldn't believe that Moz had just walked out on him. If only he could just reach him somehow, tell him how sorry he was, that he didn't want to lie to him, that he hated lying to him. He just wanted to stay. Couldn't Moz understand how much he would be losing if he left? Come to think of it, that problem might have just solved itself, because he didn't have much to lose now anymore.

And that thought brought back the memory of Peter's last words through the bars. You are just a greedy bastard. All you care about is the treasure. How he wished that he could tell him how very wrong he was. To be able to tell him that he would give it up. That he was ready to give it up for the life he had now. For the people that were now in that life.

But he couldn't. Because telling Peter that would mean telling him everything. It would mean telling him that Mozzie stole the treasure, and he couldn't do that to him. No, he couldn't do that to his friend. Because Peter was wrong. He did care about people. He cared about people very much.

####

When Peter came home that night, Elizabeth knew right away that something was wrong. Well, that something was even more wrong than it was when he left that afternoon.

"Hey hon, what's wrong?"

"Keller called."

Elizabeth stiffened. "What did he want?"

"Apparently, he wants the treasure. He said that he saw it. He said that Neal has it." He rubbed his face tiredly. "That is getting more and more obvious, but Neal still won't confess. He is still lying right to my face."

Elizabeth was disappointed. She liked Neal. She really saw a good person in him. Apparently, she was wrong. "What are you going to do now?"

"I don't know. I arrested Neal today. I told him he isn't leaving that cell until he tells me the truth."

Elizabeth frowned. "And you think that is going to make him confess?"

"I don't know. I don't know what to think anymore. And I am afraid of what Keller might do. You are staying under constant protection until we catch that son of a bitch."

Elizabeth tried to smile. "I know you will catch him, Agent Burke."

####

The next day, Elizabeth tried to act normal. She refused to let someone like Keller rule her life, so she went to work and did everything she always did. And most of all, she tried to ignore the agents that were following her each and every step she took.

She stayed in the office late because she had missed the previous day. When she got home, she unlocked the door and greeted an excited Satchmo, who didn't seem at all affected by all the drama going on around him.

After she checked the mail and fed the dog, she went to her bedroom to change into something more comfortable. When she opened the doors of the bedroom, her eyes instantly feel on her bed, where she could see something resting on her pillow. She stopped in her tracks. She slowly and cautiously approached, watching in all directions. Her hands were shaking, and she tried to breathe slowly. She reached the bed and could finally see that there was a big brown envelop lying on her bed. She slowly reached for it and opened it.

The first thing she saw inside was a white paper with a note on it. _If you think that a bunch of FBI clowns can stop me, then you are sadly mistaken. _She reached inside of the envelope again, and she pulled out photos taken in various locations. All the photos had two things in common. On each and every photo was Elizabeth and all had been taken that day.

She shoved them back into the envelope and ran downstairs where she waited for her husband to return, when she would be able to feel safe again.

####

When Peter came home that evening he found Elizabeth on the couch still dressed in her business clothes with a cup of tea in her hands.

"Hon, are you all right?"

She just pointed at the envelope that was lying on the coffee table. When he saw what was in it, he wanted to punch something. No, he wanted to punch someone.

He sat beside her on the couch and hugged her. "He won't touch you, El. I promise you that. I won't let him."

####

Neal felt like shit. There really wasn't any other way to put it.

He felt so alone. He was physically restricted to a small enclosed and almost empty space, but that wasn't the worst. The worst was the knowledge that he had lost almost everyone that was important to him. He couldn't stop thinking about the disappointment he saw on Mozzie's and Peter's face. And that was all he could do, think. It wasn't like anybody bothered to bring him anything to help occupy his time. He was at the point where even a mortgage fraud case would have been welcome, just to have something, anything to do.

Another person he couldn't stop thinking about was Elizabeth. He was worried about her. He knew first hand what Keller was capable of. Also, he hated the idea that Elizabeth probably also believed that he wouldn't give the treasure up for her safety. Why wouldn't she? Peter believed that, and everyone in the office believed that.

Earlier that day Diana had come to see him, just to tell him what kind of an asshole he was. After a couple of minutes of angry ranting, she had left before he was able to say anything in his defense.

He already knew that the whole team probably hated him after hearing the news but being told so in the face made it even worse.

And as if things weren't perfect enough, he was feeling the familiar ache of a coming flu. Just his luck, he always got sick at the worst of times.

Neal straitened a little when he heard footsteps approaching. When the figure came closer and stopped in front of the cell, he saw that it was Peter. He didn't come in. For a few moments, he just watched him through the bars.

"Have you changed your mind yet? Are you ready to confess?"

"I have nothing to confess to." That was all Neal said. He was tired of constantly repeating that he was innocent when no one believed him anyway. And Neal knew that he wasn't exactly the poster boy for innocence, but he wasn't what Peter accused him of. He didn't steal the treasure after all, and he was prepared to give it up to be able to keep his life here. And he would have given it up willing if he still had it to help Elizabeth. His only crime was not betraying his friend. What he apparently managed to do just fine, even without ratting him out.

"I see." When Neal lifted his eyes and met Peter's his heart ached. There was so much disappointment and anger in them.

Then Peter reached his hand through the bars holding the envelope. "Elizabeth found this on our bed yesterday."

Neal didn't even have to get up from the bunk to be able to reach it. He opened it and examined what was inside. He closed his eyes. "We have to stop him. I can help. Just let me out and we will figure something out. We can get him." When he was saying the last part, he lifted his eyes to Peter in determination. "You have to let me help you."

"Do you really think I'm stupid enough to let you go? I know the minute you are out of this cell you and the treasure will be gone." Peter was almost shouting. "But yes, Neal, you are right. You can help me stop him. Tell me where the treasure is. That way we can lure him out. And then we can arrest him. That is the only way Elizabeth can be safe." He was almost pleading now.

"I am sorry, Peter, but I can't help you like that. I don't know where it is." Neal wanted to tell him everything. He wanted to shout that Moz had it, but he knew he couldn't.

"I guess that I will have to do it without your help then." Peter couldn't even look at him. "I will try very hard to prove that you are responsible for the theft, but if I am not able to, I will still terminate our deal, and you will serve the rest of your sentence in prison. If you change your mind tell the guard to call me." Saying that, Peter turned around and left without sparing Neal another look.

Neal buried his head in his hands. He had lost all hope of ever fixing his broken friendship with Peter.

####

When Peter came to the office the next morning, he felt utterly helpless. He wasn't any closer to finding Keller or the treasure. El was still in danger and there was nothing he could do about it. He increased the security detail around their house, but he knew very well how smart Keller was. He was opting between staying at home and watching over El or coming to work and working on finding Keller. He chose the latter one, but he did plan on going home early.

He had wanted to go see Neal again, but he changed his mind. He was obviously not giving in, and there was nothing left to be said. If anything happened to El, he was never going to forgive him.

Peter suddenly startled at the knock on his door. Jones entered the office with a strange look on his face.

"Good morning, Jones. Something wrong?"

"I don't know. The guard from the holding cells just called. He said that Caffrey doesn't look too good. Must be sick or something."

Peter almost started to laugh at that. "I don't believe that for a second. He is just looking for a way to escape. He must really be desperate. I'll go check on him later." Saying that, he waved Jones off.

He then threw himself into work. He skipped lunch and after God knows which cup of coffee, he decided to go home.

He was already out of the elevator when he thought of Neal and what Jones had told him that morning. He knew that Caffrey was faking it, of course, and he had completely forgotten about it during the day. But he decided it was best to at least check on him before heading home. He hit the button for the basement.

The guard was reading a magazine when Peter approached him. "Hey, what's going on with Caffrey?"

The guard looked lazily from the pages and slowly blinked. He shrugged. "Don't know. He didn't touch his dinner yesterday and any of his meals today. He doesn't look completely healthy to me. I called your division. They told me you would come to check on him."

Peter sighed and stepped to Neal's cell. He looked through the bars and saw Neal lying on the bunk tangled in the thin blanket and shivering violently.

He yelled to the guard. "Can you open the doors for me?"

The guard came and unlocked the door. "He must be running a fever or something."

Peter bent over Neal's shivering body and placed the back of his hand against his forehead. "He is. You said he has been like this since yesterday?"

"I came in this morning. When I found him like this, I didn't know whether I should call the doctor, but since your people told me you were coming, I decided to wait for you."

Neal stirred in his sleep and grabbed Peter's hand. He was mumbling something incoherently. His brows were furrowed, and his face was covered in sweat.

Peter frowned. Okay, maybe he wasn't faking it. Peter thought about what he should do. In the end, he decided that he couldn't leave Neal like this.

He turned to the guard. "Can you help me get him to the car?"

The guard nodded and said, "Sure, but you need to take care of the paperwork first."

Peter nodded and hurried to the twenty-first floor. It only took him a few minutes to find the right form and fill it out. Since he was Neal's handler, and it was him who authorizes the holding, all that was required to let Neal go was his signature.

When he came back to the basement, he somehow managed to get Neal to an upright position. He tried to get Neal to cooperate, but all he got was a few incoherent words. Neal was practically burning with fever.

While getting Neal to the car, Peter tried very hard not to feel too guilty for leaving him down there in such a state. He hadn't known, after all. _Yes, you did. You just didn't want to believe it_, a small voice inside his head reminded him.

When they got to the car, Peter put Neal in the passenger seat and buckled him in. Neal was shivering even more now that he was outside the building.

When Peter started the engine, Neal let out a small yelp. He reached over and patted him on the shoulder. "It's okay, I'm taking you home." After a moment's thought, he added. "For now."

Neal shook his head. "No, Moz. Don't want to."

Peter gave him a curious look before putting the car into gear and taking off.

When he arrived at June's, he had to fully support Neal to get him up to his apartment. He placed him on the bed and changed him into sweats and a T-shirt with little help from Neal. By the time he was finished, Neal was shivering and mumbling again. Peter put him under the covers and went to get some medicine for him. He came back with a glass of water. He put a hand under Neal's back and helped him to sit up. Neal, in his delirium, started to pant and panic. He tried to shake off Peter's hold on him. "No. No. Don't make me. Don't want to."

"Come on, buddy. Just take the medicine. And we have to get some fluids into you. We must keep you hydrated." He placed the pills in his mouth and placed the glass against his lips. When the cold water touched his dry lips, Neal started to drink greedily.

The next words were a whisper, so Peter almost misses them. "Should tell Peter."

"Should tell me what?" He asked, but Neal was again completely lost to the world.

Peter stood and sighed. What was he supposed to do? He should be at home, making sure his wife was safe, and instead here he was playing nurse to Caffrey. But at the same time, he knew that he couldn't leave Neal alone. Not like this. If June were home, he could trust her with Neal's care, but she wasn't, and as far as he knew she could be gone for days. He ran his hands over his face and sighed again. He took the phone out of his pocket.

Elizabeth picked up on the second ring. "Hon, I thought you were coming home."

"I was going to, but something happened. Neal is running a pretty high fever."

"You aren't leaving him at the FBI are you?" Elizabeth sounded worried.

Peter had to smile a little. "No, don't worry. I brought him to June's, but she's not here. Someone should stay with him and make sure he's okay."

Elizabeth cut him of. "It's okay. You stay with him. I'm fine."

"Are you sure? I can get someone else to watch over him."

"Yes, I am sure. Just call if you need anything. I would come over, but I have to finish something. Turns out staying at home leaves you with tones of homework."

"I will. Thank you, hon."

"Is he going to be okay?"

"I hope so. He keeps talking about Moz. Have you talked to him lately?"

"No, not in a while. I will try to reach him."

"Thank you. I will come home as soon as possible."

"Just take care of Neal. Love you. Bye."

"I love you, too." Peter closed the phone and took his jacket of. He then put a wet cloth on Neal's burning forehead. Neal moaned in satisfaction. Peter then set to making Neal as comfortable as possible and periodically filling him with tea and other fluids. All the while wondering if he could really send the conman, who had become his friend, back to prison.

####

Mozzie was thorough. He burned every possible way for Neal to reach him. He cleared out of all the places Neal knew about. And he made sure to move the treasure to a place that not a living soul knew about.

He wasn't completely sure though why on earth he hadn't canceled the phone, which was meant only for contacts with Mrs. Suit.

Maybe because he needed to know that there was still some way for Neal to find him. Maybe because he was still hoping against all odds that he would change his mind, leave the life he had, and run with him. Maybe, but regardless of the reason, he left that link intact and now there was a message there.

A message that said that Neal was sick and had been asking for him. And it also said that Peter was with him. Peter, who now had proof that the treasure didn't burn. He also had absolutely no proof to link it to him, but still. Mozzie pondered about what would be the best way to proceed for a moment. He really didn't want to meet Peter right now, but this was Neal they were talking about.

He made his decision and headed to June's.

####

Neal was still delirious. He was thrashing around the bed, and Peter once again thanked whichever force dragged him down to the cell to check on him, before going home. He didn't want to think about Neal this ill down there.

Suddenly, there was a sound behind his back, and when he turned around, he saw Mozzie standing there.

The almost forgotten anger raised in him again. Now that he knew that the treasure was still out there, he knew that Neal had it. That of course meant that Mozzie was somehow involved too. But he didn't have any leverage over Mozzie as he had over Neal. And he didn't have any proof either, so there was nothing he could do about it. Yet.

But he was willing to forget that for now.

"How is he?" Mozzie looked concerned.

"He has a high fever. If it gets any worse, I will get him to the hospital, but I hope that the fever will break on its own."

Mozzie nodded and stepped closer to the bed. "Good. That's good. When did he get sick?"

"I don't know. Probably over the night."

"Did he call in sick today?"

Peter was startled. "What? You don't know?"

"Don't know what?"

"Don't play games with me, Haversham. I know about the treasure. I know you two have it. Neal was being held in the FBI headquarters for the last few days. I haven't been able to prove it yet, but I will. And when I do, you will be joining him."

Mozzie visibly paled.

"But you two having the treasure, that isn't the worst part." Peter clenched his fists. "The worst part is that El's in danger, and he knew it. And he still didn't want to give it up."

Mozzie's brilliant mind was racing at super speed now. _Don't give away too much. Be careful. El's in danger? Don't incriminate yourself. Help your friend._

He breathed in and out slowly. "How is Elizabeth in danger?"

"Keller. He wants the treasure."

Aha. "And you are saying that Neal refused to part with the art?"

"Yes." Peter was watching Mozzie carefully.

Mozzie was choosing his words carefully. "Well, just theoretically, there might be a possibility that say even if Neal sometime in the past had the access to the treasure that fact might have been changed in the light of some recent events."

Peter got the message. "Neal doesn't have it anymore? Did you sell it already?"

"Well let's just say that if, this is all purely hypothetical of course, if he had an accomplice and if they had a disagreement, said partner may have moved it without notifying him about it."

Peter closed his eyes. "So you have the treasure?"

Mozzie's eyes widened. "I didn't say that! I was only speaking hypothetically."

"Cut the crap, Moz. What sort of disagreement did you two have?"

"Well let's just say that the heart of one of the two wasn't completely at the con."

"What do you mean?" Peter shot a curious glance at Neal's directions.

"This is all still purely theoretical, but maybe Neal wasn't the one who took the treasure. Maybe he didn't know that such actions were occurring. And when he found out later, he didn't want to rat out the previously mentioned friend. He may have been tempted to run with the stolen goods, but he found something better. He seemed to have found a few reasons to stay. His accomplice may have been slightly upset that he had been outvoted and was intending to leave without him."

The realization hit Peter. And with that, the feeling of pure relief. "Is the said accomplice still mad at him?"

Moz looked at Neal. "He may have realized that he has been unfair and a little fast in his judgment."

Peter sighed and nodded. "Happens to the best of us."

Peter smiled to himself. Neal was innocent. Well, not exactly innocent, but… close enough.

####

When Neal woke up, he felt like crap. But the bed he was lying on felt way to comfortable to be the bunk in his cell. He opened his eyes and saw that he was in his apartment. And someone was in the kitchen. He leaned forward a little, and he saw that it was Peter.

Peter noticed that he was awake. "Good morning." He sounded almost cheerful.

"Morning." Neal was confused. The last thing he could remember was being sick in the cell, lying on the bunk. He was so cold and everything hurt. The next thing he knew, he was lying in his cozy bed with cheerful Peter around.

"You had a pretty bad fever yesterday, and I brought you here. It broke over the night though, and it's almost gone. You just need to take it easy for a couple of days, and you will be fine."

So Peter had brought him home. He didn't even want to start to imagine what that looked like.

Peter looked more serious now. "Mozzie was here."

Neal was surprised. What else did he miss? "He was here?" He tried not to show his surprise.

"He told me a little hypothetical story." Peter was staring at Neal intensely.

"Oh?" How much had he told him?

"He told me you didn't want to run." Peter's expression was unreadable.

Neal looked to the floor. Which means that he also told him that he had had the treasure in the first place. "Peter, I'm sorry."

"You should have told me."

"I know."

Peter sighed and changed the subject. "You do look better. El sent us some soup. You think you are up to it?"

"I think so."

"I'll bring it to you."

When Peter brought the tray with the soup and orange juice, Neal felt uneasy. He looked Peter in the eye. He was afraid to ask, but he had to. "What now?"

Peter sat on the bed. "Honestly, I don't know. It turns out it wasn't entirely your fault after all. I realize I was a little too fast in my judgment. And knowing that, when accusing you that you wouldn't give up the treasure for El's safety, I was wrong, was a huge relief."

"What about Moz? Is he going to…"

Peter smiled a little. "It's Moz we are talking about here. He wouldn't incriminate himself. I still have no proof of either of your involvement."

Neal released a breath of relief and smiled. "Of course."

Peter smiled fully now. "Let's just say that I won't try so hard in the investigation of the treasure."

Neal looked Peter in the eye. "Thank you."

Peter sobered. "But we still have to deal with Keller."

Neal's expression changed into a picture of mischief. "I had some free time over the past few days. I have something in mind. It did involve having to find Mozzie and the treasure for it to work, but now it seems that that's not a problem anymore. I have a plan for how to lure Keller out. We have to run a con on him."

####

Neal did have a plan. And it worked. Keller was behind bars, and he even took all the blame for stealing the treasure. He did it for completely selfish reasons, but that didn't matter anymore. What mattered was that Neal straightened things out with Moz and Peter. He wasn't behind bars, and life was good again. He, of course, wasn't completely out of trouble with Peter yet, but he was getting there. He even got somewhat of a half apology for being so quickly accused and thrown behind bars. As Peter put it, his judgment was a little clouded with anger and with worry for Elizabeth.

Now, Neal and Mozzie sit in his apartment drinking wine in comfortable silence.

Neal turns to Mozzie. "I'm sorry that you had to give up the treasure."

"It's okay. Some things are worth losing even the biggest treasure for." There is an almost unnoticeable smile on Mozzie's lips now. "And after all, nobody really knows how big of a treasure it really was."

Neal smiles and makes a toast with his friend. With his partner in crime.

The End

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Thanks for reading!

Reviews are welcome.


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